Green Business: Environmentally friendly Business Organizing Tips

Once again I am participating in Janet Barclay’s Blog Carnival and April’s theme is “Green Organizing”…please let me be clear on this…it is not a group of organizers consulting on color choices it is how Organizing is a major component of Living Green… being earth-friendly. I hope you will check out the Carnival for all the Best Green Organizing Tips from the Organizing Experts.

It does not matter if you are in Trump Tower or Tower Street Kansas…greening your business just makes sense. It is environmentally friendly and friendly to your bottom line….and in the long run it saves valuable time. Here are a few tried and true changes that you can make today in YOUR business.

STOP Copying everything…Save a few trees

STOP copying your e-mails and documents and information you may need later at some point in time. This small change can save you valuable time waiting for items to be printed, it can save you money by not having to purchase so much paper and will make your life more convenient when you don’t have to look through reams of paper to find something. Make computer files not paper files. By using the search function on your computer you can find almost anything in 5 seconds or less.

***For those who are very tactile and feel they need to touch paper and therefore print everything they find online…here is a quick trick. Hold a piece of paper when you are reading information online…touching the paper will satisfy that tactile urge and you won’t have to print  anything again…I am not kidding it works!***

Retire your Fax machine…it is so 1980′s

Did you know that you can get fax to e-mail service…yes the fax goes directly into your e-mail inbox. Again, no more paper to file that you will have to find at a later date. By receiving the fax to your computer you will be able to store and retrieve this valuable information quickly…Filing is not really about filing it is about retrieval. One less machine that takes up valuable space and less clutter in your office.

Reduce Recycle Reuse…have things that serve more than one purpose

• If you have a printer, fax(see previous info) and copier think about upgrading to a space-saving…clutter-reducing all in one machine.
• Transform an office closet that is more of a dumping station into a storage area for office supplies and perhaps adding a countertop for additional work space.
• Instead of using the paper coffee cup from the coffee shop use a reusable one..most coffee shops discount the price of your coffee for doing this.
• Use the back of your paper for notes before it hits the recycling pile.

Turn off your STUFF…don’t pull a Griswald on the power company

I mean the computer, printer lights…etc, when not in use. For a single user this could mean a savings of $100/year…multiply that by the number of employees and you have some huge company savings. Find out how much you can save annually with some quick calculations…check it out now.

Don’t be shy about your efforts to Green your Business. Let your suppliers, clients and staff  in on what you are doing to conserve energy and reduce waste.

Take a few minutes and check out the great information at the Blog Carnival and do your part for the environment…check it out